A variety of animals are used for biomedical research. As but one example, genetically engineered mice may be considered one of the most important animal models for advanced biomedical research because these mice share a high degree of homology to humans with completely sequenced genetic information. Furthermore, mice can be reproduced quickly, which is crucial for system biology research, where several generations of mice are typically required to obtain the desirable strains with targeted genetic sequences.
However, the small blood vessel size of mice, approximately 200 μm in diameter for major arteries, introduces significant challenges for in vivo blood pressure monitoring on free roaming animals. It is difficult to apply many previously developed types of blood pressure sensing cuffs in mice for in vivo real-time monitoring. Furthermore, complexities often arise due to significantly increased complexity in fabrication, packaging, and implant procedure.
In view of these concerns, there is a need for an implantable blood monitoring device for effective in vivo real-time monitoring.